Before today's game, James wrote about how the combination of a flimsy White Sox rotation and a feeble White Sox offense put way too much strain on the White Sox bullpen.
Those two elements were in play, along with a critical defensive lapse as well. The bullpen collapsed under the stress, and the Twins swept the White Sox for the second time in as many chances, running their winning streak to 10 games in the process.
Chris Flexen pitched five decent innings and left with the White Sox leading 4-2, but once Steven Wilson walked three of the five batters he faced in the sixth inning, it set the stage for another bullpen foundering. Then Paul DeJong Bucknered a routine grounder induced by Dominic Leone with the bases loaded and two outs -- he said he got screened by Trevor Larnach, but it hopped three times after it cleared the runner -- and that's when the brushfire started.
All five White Sox relievers struggled, and no one bailed out another. Leone fared the best, because while two of his three inherited runners scored, that was due to DeJong. Tim Hill allowed both of his inherited runners to cross the plate, as did John Brebbia.
The miserable last four innings overshadowed a watchable first five. Bailey Ober didn't mystify the White Sox this time, possibly because the hitters who handled him haven't worn the uniform for that long. Robbie Grossman and Tommy Pham combined to go 4-for-8 with a homer, three doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs at the top of the order. Outside of a Korey Lee opposite-field homer off Brock Stewart that narrowed Minnesota's newfound lead to 6-5 in the seventh, the White Sox had no solutions for what came after.
At least there's a day off on Thursday. No White Sox relievers are expected to pitch, but you never know.
Bullet points:
*Gavin Sheets couldn't get to a shallow Willi Castro fly ball with an expected batting average of .210, which isn't a condemnation of his effort, but the continued pattern of playing him in right field. Lee minimized that mistake by cutting down Castro at third.
*Lee also threw out Byron Buxton on the back end of a SHOTHO, although Buxton gave himself up after aggravating his knee somewhere between first and second.
*DeJong also failed to turn a 3-6-3 double play that Andrew Vaughn started well, so he had a miserable defensive series.
*Drew Butera was ejected in the first inning for yelling at home plate umpire James Hoye.
